


On The Verge

by ieatbooks1



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29584560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ieatbooks1/pseuds/ieatbooks1
Summary: This is a Skulduggery Pleasant fan fiction. None of the characters or story is mine. This is set before SOW while Dexter and Saracen are having an argument.Saracen Rue’s magic is to give and take pain. He can steal pain from his friends, but lives with it until he passes it on. But not many people deserve to feel the pain of being skinned alive, so he keeps it to himself. He doesn’t want Dexter to change or blame himself, but is his secret more important than their relationship. (It’s not btw)
Relationships: Saracen Rue & Dexter Vex, Saracen Rue/Dexter Vex
Kudos: 2





	1. What do I Say

(Saracens POV)

Centuries have passed by, and I’ve kept my power a secret from everyone. At the same time, centuries have passed since I haven’t been in pain. I have been drowning in the agony of stabbings and torn limbs. The pain I have stolen from others, so they could be okay, constantly nags at me. It is the kind of pain that you cannot completely get used to. And there are not many people who deserve to be skinned alive or set afire. So I keep it to myself.   
That is what I can do. I can save others from suffering by stealing pain, giving pain to murderers. I can manipulate the pain into anyone, including myself.   
And the one person I leaned on for comfort is gone.   
Dexter left because I didn’t trust him. And I don’t blame him at all for thinking that. I do trust him. I love him. But there's no way in hell I’m telling anybody about my magic.   
Either way, our relationship would become awkward, and he would try to make things right, to make the pain go away, but I already accepted the fact that I will never feel okay. He would start being cautious and unsure around me. I would be a burden. And he would eventually just give up on me. And despite everything, that kind of pain is the worst. I can take the pain but not the loss. Not the grief. That might finally drive me over.   
I would rather him blame me than himself, and I know he would.   
I leaned back in my seat, staring out the window.  
“Saracen, I’m tired of driving,” Valkyrie complained beside me.  
“Okay?” I remarked monotonously.  
“So,” She dragged the word along, “it's your turn to drive.” I turned to look at her.  
“But I don’t want to! I’ve been driving for longer than you!” I countered.   
“Dude you’ll be fine. It’s only like another hour,” she prodded. I physically choked at her attempt at logic.   
“If it’s only another hour, then it shouldn’t be a problem!” I rolled my eyes.   
“Fine, but I’m suffering because of you.” she said. A moment passed.  
“Can you at least talk to me? You’ve been acting depressed for like five hours!” she exclaimed.  
“What? No I haven’t!”  
“Wh- Are you still sulking over your fight with Dexter?”   
“No-” I started.  
“Listen, if you're really that lonely without your boyfriend, just tell him your power,” she interrupted.   
“You know I can’t,” I frowned.   
“No actually, you’ve been friends for like… centuries. And you don’t trust him. Honestly, I can see where he’s coming from,” she reasoned.   
“I get it. You’re on his side,” I retort.  
“Okay that’s not what I’m saying-” I cross my arms and turn dramatically towards the window. “Are you going to give me the silent treatment,” Val moaned. I ignored her.  
“You can’t do this forever,” she continued. Again, I do not respond. She signed.  
“You know what? You're reminding me of my eight year old sister,” she insulted, “She gives me the silent treatment.”   
I was tagging along with Valkyrie for a case, since Skul was out of town, Dexter was avoiding me. But it didn’t even seem like she was trying to be good company. There were two men using their magic to convince some poor mortals that they were greek gods. An elemental who claimed to be Oya, goddess of fire. And a necromancer who claimed to be Hades. Just very creative sorcerors with a god-complex. It was a simple enough case, nothing that endangers the world, the human race, or any large scale problem. Well, it could possibly be attributed to global warming. Wait, does elemental magic contribute to global warming?  
“Val?” I asked.   
“Oh so now you’re talking to me,” she retorted.  
“Yeah does elemental magic help out global warming?”   
“Um..what?”   
“Like… you know, all the fireballs and- well, just all the fireballs” She widened her eyes.  
“Are we to blame for setting all the Koalas in Australia on fire?” she wondered out loud. I shook my head distastefully.   
“Oh Val, we are terrible people,” I cringed.  
“We deserve nothing,” she responded in agreement. I nodded.  
“I’m sorry for giving you the silent treatment,” I mumbled.  
“You’ve decided to right your wrongdoings?” she asked.  
I nodded, “For the koalas.”   
“Then I forgive you,” she reassured, placing a hand on my shoulder.   
“I forgive you for taking Dexter’s side.”   
“I’m not!”  
“Um.. I forgive you for lying to me just now,” I said. Val sighed.   
“Listen man, I don’t have enough information to take sides.”  
“What do you mean? Dexter and I got into an argument about my magic. I won’t tell him because he thinks I don’t trust him.”  
“Do you really want my opinion?” she asked.  
“Yes,” I shouted dramatically.   
“Are you really sure? It gets kind of deep.”  
“Just tell me.”   
“Okay,” she exhaled, “Well, it depends on your magic. Because I think you really do trust him. Maybe you are not used to telling anyone. You’ve been keeping a secret for centuries. Anyone would be hesitant to suddenly talk about it. At the same time, you need to decide whether your secret or Dexter is more important.   
Then again, maybe that’s not it at all. Maybe you are scared to tell him. Or that you're scared it will change your relationship. Maybe your magic is so self-deprecating, and letting him know that you're going through something like that is daunting. Maybe you’ve had a defensive wall up to guard your pain. And you would prefer his anger over his guilt. You don’t want him to think differently of you.”   
I stared for a moment, “Damn.”  
“What are you thinking,” Val asked.  
“I’m thinking that you have been reading too many YA fantasy novels,” I joked. She smiled “Too much?”   
“No,” I responded, “It was fine.” She looked at me quizzically.   
“Was I right?” she questioned. I didn’t know what to say. I usually distract myself from the pain, but right now, it was trying to claw its way out of me. I didn’t respond.  
“If I am right, I think you should still tell Dex,” she said gently.   
“I don’t know if I can agree with that,” I whispered.  
“Don’t throw him away for this. Telling him will take so much off of your back.”  
“Or he could completely push me away, because I’m not the same person he always thought I was.” She shakes her head, and a humorless laugh escapes her mouth.  
“But don’t you love him?” she remarked. I sigh.  
“Yeah, I really do.” I looked over at Val’s shadowed face. She showed no signs of wanting to know my power, like she understood how hard it would be. Would it be so hard to tell her now? It would be a really impulsive decision, but do I even care right now. My life is empty right now. I have fun, but everything goes by. The pain is always the same.   
“You don’t need to tell me,” she whispered, as though she read my mind “but I think you need to tell Dexter.” I sit back in my seat.  
“I think you’re right,” I respond quietly.   
She widened her eyes in disbelief, “Dude, I’m always right.”


	2. Listen To Me

(Saracen POV)   
Valkyrie was most definitely right about telling Dexter. But that didn’t make it any easier. Seeing him walk down the sanctuary’s halls made me rethink my life choices. Val poked me in the side.  
“Just go. Don’t even think about it,” she encouraged.  
“Yeah well, it's too late for that now!” I whisper-shouted. She pushed me out into the hall, right where Dex was walking. Instead of acknowledging me, he moved over as to walk right by me. His eyes were forced away from me. I turned away, immediately regretting everything, but Valkyrie’s face told me I was not allowed to walk away, and I was scared for the bones in my body. I knew they would not stay unbroken for long. I sped up to Dexter, “Hi.” He continued walking.   
“Dex, can’t we just talk?” I plead.  
“No,” he responded bitterly.   
“Listen, I was talking to Val about my magic ability and-”  
“Val?” he raised his voice, “So she is allowed to know, but not me?”  
“No-” He scoffed. I had to quicken my pace to stay beside him.   
‘Dex I’m going to tell you,'' I claimed. But he kept walking.   
“I don’t care anymore!” He shouted. I was shocked. All this time, he’s been avoiding me and for what? My hope turned to anger.  
“What? Isn’t that the reason for all your bitterness?!”   
“My bitterness?” His voice was full of annoyance, “Listen, you’re being so stubborn. You don’t even trust me!”   
“I do! That’s why I’m going to tell you!”   
“Forget it!”  
“I’m so confused! Just talk to me!”  
“It doesn’t seem that big of a deal now that you are going around telling everybody!” He shouted.   
“I haven’t told anyone! Not even Val! You're being really dramatic right now even for you!”  
“Sar!”  
“Okay fine. Dex, you’re really important to me. Okay? And imagine the world was ending, and I could only be with one person in the world, then I would choose you.” He stopped walking.  
“Creative,” he remarked.  
“I'm serious man,” I exasperated, “Please just listen to me.”   
He nodded, “Let’s go into one of the meeting rooms.”  
He pulled me along in the hallway. I dared look back at Val, who was giving me a  
devious smile and two thumbs up. She had a lead in the case, so we would be leaving in a few hours. I was thankful that, in case it all backfired, I would have a distraction. Dex and I walked down the hall awkwardly. The silence was filled by the busy hallway, but I couldn’t focus on any of the sorcerer's conversations. My heart was tight with anticipation, and my head was bursting with all possible outcomes. I was aware of Dexter’s separation from me, how he stayed almost arms-length away. It just made everything hurt even more. We stopped by an empty room. Dex opened the door for me at least. And locked the door behind us. He plopped down on a chair, one of the many that were surrounding the long table.   
“So..?” 

(Dexters POV)  
I’ve taken a lot of different powers into account. I’m an energy thrower. I thought Saracen might have been a sensitive. It would be cool if he could read minds or time travel. But I never would have guessed this. He’s been my best friend for centuries. How could I have never noticed how much he was suffering? The worst part is that I know he isn’t lying. He gave me some minor injury, and then took it away, for proof. And I’m speechless. I love him. I always have, and I thought that the feeling wasn’t mutual. That he couldn’t care less about me. I made a mistake. A big mistake.  
I open my mouth a few times to speak, but nothing comes out. I wanted to tell him that I loved him, that I’m sorry, that I wish he would have told me. That I wanted to be there for him. But nothing came out. We stared at each other, but nobody made a move.   
Until Saracen sighed, “Right then. This was obviously a mistake” And he walked out. I wanted to stop him, to pull him back into my arms, and kiss him.   
That thought surprised me. He was my best friend, not my boyfriend. I didn’t love him like that. Or did I?  
I said there, dumbfounded, as he walked farther and farther away from me.


	3. Bigger Than We Thought

(Saracens POV)  
I pulled Valkyrie by the arm. “Let’s leave early,” I mumbled. She looked like she was about to murder me.  
“I swear to god, if you chickened out-”  
“You were wrong,” I blurted. She furrowed her brows, “What?”   
“He didn’t say anything, so I left. He just let me walk out of there,” I grumbled.   
“Oh god, he was probably in shock or something!” she reasoned.  
“You know what I think? I think that he went through a lot recently. He nearly died after Darquesse messed him up, and then he realized he didn’t love me anymore, and my power was just an excuse so he could push me away”  
“No that’s not true,” Val gasped.  
“Yeah it is. You know, he might not even realize it, but he never loved me anyways”  
“Now you’re just being illogical,” she uttered.  
“Lets just go,” I snapped. She didn’t retaliate though. She just gave me a sad smile and took my arm.   
“Alright then.”   
We got into the ‘Oompa Loompa.’ When I raised my eyebrows at her, she smiled, and told me that was what she called her car. It was a similar orange to an oompa loompa, so I guess that made sense.   
“Onward, my oompa loompa” she cried. Sometimes I get concerned for her mental well-being.   
Valkyrie found one of the mortals who was convinced of the Fake God Posse. That’s what Val and I are calling it now. We made a list of names, since Val brought up that we can’t just keep referring to them as ‘the sorcerers with a god-complex.’ It was too much effort.   
Despite Valkyrie’s distraction, my thoughts kept drifting back to Dexter. And I missed everything she said. Eventually, she gave up. We were in a small town, with a lot of greenery. We passed by dozens of two-story houses, each a little too close to each other. It seemed like a cute neighborhood. It made sense though. Nobody would be too suspicious here, but then again, it seemed like not much would get around without people knowing. Most likely, the gossipers are at a constant lookout for any drama. That is why I was not surprised when Val pulled into a small gift shop. They were hiding in plain sight, so nobody would be looking there.It was clever, I will say that.   
That was wrong. Somebody like Val would never overlook a gift shop. It just seemed so easy to find. I look over to Val, and it’s clear she is thinking the same thing. Her eyes narrowed toward the shop. She scanned it over, probably taking note of all the exits, windows, possible make-shift weapons.   
“Ready?” I asked. She nodded and opened the door. We walked down the road casually. Our footsteps synched together until our strides were synonymous.   
“Let’s just walk into the front door,” she suggested, “like normal people.”  
“I’m okay with that,” I responded as I pulled the door open, and waved my hand toward the interior, “Ladies first.”  
The interior was shades of white and gray, and colorful flowers were draped upon windowsills and desks. Simple curtains were left open so the shop would be exposed to non artificial light. It gave off spring vibes. There was a kind-looking woman at the desk, who smiled cheerfully at us.   
“Hello there! Are you passing by?” she asked politely.   
“How could you tell?” Valkyrie smiled.  
“This is a small neighborhood, so everyone knows everyone. There aren’t very many unfamiliar faces,” she clarified, “So what are you doing in a place like this?” I nudged Val in the side.   
“Maybe we need a code to join the Fake God Society,” I whisper into Val’s ear. She coughed, probably to hide her laugh.  
“Just passing through, and we stopped for the bathrooms,” she poked me in the side, “Not many fun places in our little town either.”   
The woman laughed, “The bathrooms are down the hall. First door on the right.”  
“Thank you,” Val waved as she went off. The woman turned to me, “So where are you from?”   
“Oh, it’s tiny. You’ve probably never heard of it,” I responded, “So what does everyone do in their free time here?” 

(Valkyrie’s POV)  
I skipped the bathroom. The other rooms were more interesting. There was a staff room and a storage room, but both were locked. Fortunately, one shot of lightning from my finger guns unlocks a lot of doors. I go to the storage room first, rummaging through the boxes. Shelves faced each other on either end of the wall. The smell of cardboard and old books filled the room, and I did not enjoy it. There was clutter everywhere too. I couldn’t find anything either. Everything there seemed like it would be in a gift shop. So I moved on to the staff room. I doubted there would be any staff members, but I stayed on alert anyways. There was a small empty table, and a little row of lockers. I popped open each of the lockers, but there was nothing incriminating. Then I got an idea. I ducked beneath the table, and searched for any corners and compartments. I felt around the corners, and there was something loose. I tugged on it, and it opened a slot around a table leg. There was a stack of papers that I pulled out. There was one addressed to a man named, “Abia Labou.” There were documents about collecting money and offerings. They must have been using the mortals for materialistic things rather than sole power and control.   
I felt a sharp pain on my head, and immediately turned, but there was nobody around. I brought my hand up to my head. No blood or injuries. Then my entire body was coursing with pain. I dropped the paper and fell to the floor. What the hell? My vision was hazy, but I saw Saracen run in. He probably heard me fall. I look around the table and in the hole. There were sigils hidden deep inside. And as Saracen pulled me up, and as I was about to fall unconscious, I realized this case was much deeper than we thought.


	4. I Love You

(Saracens POV)  
I stole Valkyrie’s pain. No wonder she passed out, I thought, because this is going to take a while to get used to. I told her that it must have worn off while she was unconscious. She woke up when the sun was finally disappearing from the sky.   
“Where are we going now?” she asked in anticipation.   
“Slow your roll. We’re going home,” I responded. She makes a face at me.  
“Okay first of all, don’t say that. It’s disgusting-”  
“What? Why?”  
“And second of all, we can't go home. We have to solve the case!” she exclaimed.  
“No! We need to think through first!” I reasoned.   
“Ughh,” she responds in the most dramatic, obnoxiously loud way possible.   
“And why can’t I say ‘Slow your roll,”’ I questioned.   
“Dude my dad says that. It gives major dad vibes,” she chuckled.   
I frowned, “I’ve never met my dad”  
“Oh dear god.”  
“He left me before I was born.”  
“Please stop.”   
“Okay.”   
“You ruined the mood.”  
“I was only joking,” I claimed.   
Val eventually fell asleep again. To my dismay, I was left without her as a distraction, and the pain was clawing at my insides. Normally, I can suppress it, but today it was too hard. The day has been long, so my body is too exhausted. I force myself out of the car and smack Val;s head.  
“Wake up. I’m not carrying you,” I complained. She practically rolled out of the car, and jogged up to be able to walk beside me.   
“Why are we at the sanctuary?” she asked.  
“We left our stuff here. And I’m not tired, so I’m going to follow up on the documents,” I responded.  
“I’ll help too. I slept in the car, so I won’t be able to sleep.”  
“We can steal an office room,” I suggested. She gave me a thumbs up. We were walking down the hallways. There weren’t many sorcerers since it was the middle of the night, so Val and I filled the silence more than anyone else. We weren’t exactly using inside voices.  
“...and then we can break into their secret layer!” she exclaimed.   
“Just like the ninja’s that we have trained all of our lives to be!” I joked.  
She nodded in agreement, “Just like the ninjas.”  
“We can take all of the money and offerings given to the Fake God Posse,” I proposed.  
“Oh definitely, and then-” Her sentence stopped short after running face first into Dexter. She bounced backwards, and looked up. When she realized it was Dex, she made a face at me. Dexter was staring at me.   
“Sar…” he started. No no no no no. This is not happening. I grabbed Val’s arm and pulled her along with me.  
“Sorry,” I muttered. But his strong arm grabbed mine and pulled me back. I refused to look at him. I was exhausted, and I couldn’t deal with anything else today. Haven’t I already lost him? I should have let it be. I should have let him be angry at me.   
“Let go,” I demanded but his other hand grabbed my chin, and I was forced to look at him. His pale eyes stared straight into my own, darker eyes.   
“What are you doing? Let go!” I demanded, a little louder than before.  
“Sar, I’m sorry.” His eyes were pleading, desperate for my reassurance. But I could not give him that. He doesn’t care, I reminded myself. Yes, he just feels guilty. He feels morally obligated to do something. I yank my arm away.  
“It’s fine,” I said as I walked away. I'm not mad at him for losing feelings for me. Still, he runs in front of me.  
“Please stop! I froze up earlier! I didn’t know what to say, and I love you. I was just mad, because I thought I was just as important to you as anyone else. We’re best friends, and I ruined that!” he cried. I was shocked. I started to wonder why. What is it about me? I am constantly convincing myself that I am not special to anyone. That I am more deserving of my pain than anyone else. And I know it is true. So why does he love me? I don’t ask him. Instead, I tell him how I feel, “Dexter, I love you more than anything-”   
He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. I felt myself being pushed against a wall as he guided his hands up to my face, and cupped his hands into my cheeks. He was pressing his whole body up against me hard. It was so warm. Then, the pain I took from Valkyrie started to claw at me. I tried to push it down, but it only got worse. It was trying to swallow me whole. I pushed Dexter away defensively. My breaths were heavy.  
“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” he swallowed. He thought I pushed him away because I didn’t love him like that. When in reality, I was in love with him.   
“No no, I j-just,” I choked out the words, “It just hurts.”  
He widened his eyes, “Oh. Oh Saracen!” He reached out to me, but I slapped his hand away. I couldn’t breath. The pain was overwhelming me, and I didn’t know why. Oh god, I was going to die, I thought. All of the memories of pain I took started coming up. It felt like I was being hit by a wave of pain and anxiety,   
“Dex-” I began, but I could not say anything more. I felt his steady hands wrap around me, trying to pull me back to reality. Again, I thought, I was going to die. I turned my face towards him, hoping desperately he could read my eyes. Hoping he knew I loved him. Hoping he could see everything I was feeling. He pulled me down to the floor gently, so that I was practically on top of him.  
“Listen to me Sar, you’re okay.” He was trying to comfort me, and I couldn’t help but feel immense appreciation towards him. He was one of the only people, in my hundreds of years, that has seen me cry or panic. He was always there for me, and still is. How did I ever think I could live without him?   
“You’re safe,” I heard him whisper. I finally start to feel myself calm down. My breathing slowed.   
“Dex,” I said again, “I love you.” His arms wrapped around my upper body, and his legs wrapped loosely around the rest of me. I hid my face in his shoulder.   
“You shouldn’t have to go through this,” he said. His voice was so gentle and familiar. I wanted to stay in his arms forever.   
“I’m used to it,” I whispered. He held on tighter. Suddenly, I realized I was shaking, so I balled my fists into his shirt to stop my hands from trembling.   
“You shouldn’t have to be,” He answered. I didn’t argue with him. I just let myself fall for him. And hoped in vain, that I would be able to stay in his arms forever.   
I felt bittersweet with the knowledge that I couldn’t bear to live without him, and that I could lose him any moment. But it was the most romantic feeling, I think, because that just means I really am in love.


	5. You’ll see

Valkyrie had, while I was with Dexter, found a lead. She decided to follow it herself though. She assumed I would be spending the day with Dexter, but I wasn’t. He was with China Sorrows for the day. This surprised me, considering how busy she usually is. Doesn’t she have meetings all day? For the rest of the afternoon, I stayed home, switching between reading, thinking, and cleaning. It was very uneventful. The day was dreadfully slow, but night crept up stealthily.   
A knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts. I looked up from my book, staring at the door for a moment. Nothing was moving here. It felt like I was out of time’s reach, but another knock at the door brought me back to reality.  
“Coming,” I called. I opened the door to find Dexter. The darkness was wrapped around him, and most of his features were shadowed. He smiled at me warmly, sending butterflies flying around in my stomach. I wasn’t sure where our relationship was at now. We might just be best friends again, but I don’t want to ignore what happened last night.   
“Hi,” I said, and moved to the side so he would be able to enter.   
“Hey,” he greeted, walking in, “How are you?” He asked me this gently.   
“I’m okay. I’m painfully bored,” I complained.   
“Aren’t you going to the requiem ball tomorrow?” He squinted. Oh, I totally forgot. Every ten years, we celebrate our victory in the war against Mevolent by having a ball. And that ball was tomorrow.   
“Probably not,” I said, “I don’t even know where it is this year.” Dex frowned.   
“I’ll bring you,” he offered.  
“I’d rather not.”  
“You can’t just sit on your ass all day,” he mumbled.   
“Excuse you,” I stated impassiley.   
“Sar, you’re going” he decided and motioned towards me, “You clearly haven’t been going out recently.”  
“Are you calling me fat?” I made an offended face.   
“Yes,” he deadpanned. I frowned, “Oh, that was really straightforward.”  
“I’m just trying to convince you to come.”   
“I feel like you’re overestimating your power over me,” I responded.  
“I’m making you go,” he rolled his eyes, “You have too.” I groaned. The idea of going with him was slightly comforting, but I don’t want to go and socialize with other human beings. I’m just not in the mood. Despite this, I wanted to stay with him.  
“Can’t we go somewhere else?” I offered, “Like a festival.” He pondered this for a moment, then shrugged “Okay, sure.”  
“That was too easy… Is this a trap?” I questioned.   
“No-” he started, but I pressed my hand to his forehead, “Are you sick?” I asked. Instead of answering, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him.  
“I’m actually okay with this,” I managed before he was kissing me. “Good,” he muttered.   
I raised my eyebrows, “Assertive.” He smiled as he let go, “Let’s order chinese. I’m hungry,” he suggested.   
“I’m also okay with that,” I added. He moved to the couch and pulled his phone out to order. “What do you want,” he asked. I waved my hand around in dismissal, “Whatever is fine.” I waited for him to finish the call before speaking. His face was careless, like he had no care in the world. His blue eyes stared in no specific direction. I couldn’t help but notice every little movement, like how his finger traced circles on his pants, and how his foot bounced up and down. He was always restless, always needing to move around. After the war, he finally got to travel around the world. It was stopped short though, by all of the recent shortcomings. He could go back anytime he wanted.  
“Why don’t you go back to travelling?” I wondered out loud. He furrowed his brows, “What do you mean?” I tilt my head back, and my eye drifts to the ceiling in thought.   
“You traveled after the war, and a bit after the whole Darquesse problem, but you’re still restless,” I answered, “Don’t you miss it?”  
He sighed, “I don’t know what to do right now.”  
“It seems like you’re happiest when you’re out doing things and experiencing the world,” I explained. He shook his head, and stared deep into my eyes. This was a feeling I would never get used too, nor’ did I want to get used too. I wanted to feel this way every time I saw him.   
“I’m happiest when I’m with you,” he whispered. I leaned deeper into him as he wrapped an arm around my chest, and pulled me down with him. I was laying on top of him. My face was buried into his neck. He always smelled like autumn, and everything associated with it. Everything was so warm. I felt his hand entangled in my hair, and the other gripping my waist, holding me like I was going to disappear if he ever let go. And I would be okay with it if he never did. I traced a finger along his jawline. The entire room was filled with silence and darkness. I could feel as his chest lifted and fell.  
“I love you,” I breathed, and in response, he pulled up to his face. We were so close, our lips brushed against each other’s, and his warm breath left my skin tingling.   
“I love you too,” he promised.   
There was a loud knock at the door, “I’ll get it,” I offered, thinking our food was here, but China was at the door, as beautiful as ever.   
She smiled, “Hello, Dexter told me he would be here?” I scratched the back of my head, “Uh… yeah.” I pointed towards the living room, “Come in.” What was so important that China would come here? In person, no less. When Dexter saw her, he said up anxiously. I raised an eyebrow towards him, but he only gave me a big smile in return.   
“You finished? Already?” his face was pure excitement.   
“I did,” China stood elegantly by the doorway, “I’m very proud of it as well.”  
“Thanks. You did more than I expected,” Dexter beamed.  
“I’m being left out at my own home,” I commented.   
“I will take my leave,” China intone. I turned towards Dex.  
“What was that?” I questioned.  
“She owed me a favor,” he merely stated, “I guess you’ll see tomorrow.”


	6. End

I was both excited and nervous. Normally, I am not anxious to see Dex, but our relationship has changed dramatically over the past week, and I could not predict how our night would go. I asked him multiple times about whatever China brought him, but he refused to tell me. He said that I would have to be patient.   
Late in the evening, Dex and I left for whatever festival he was bringing me too. There were colors everywhere. Bright lights were draped along the tiny shops. We walked down the busy paths, and I was letting him drag me along.   
“Let’s get something to eat,” I suggested, “And then we can walk around.” He looked back at me and nodded, “What are you in the mood for?”  
“I want dessert,” I told him.  
“Yeah me too. There is probably something around here,” he scanned the shops as we passed by, and pointed up at a tiny one.   
“Real quick, let’s get ice cream,” he said.   
There was a man running it, and next to him, a little girl. Most likely, it was his daughter who was helping out. I wanted black raspberry ice cream, but Dex just got a smoothie. “If you just try back raspberry, you would like it,” I urged. He made a face.   
“Sar, I don’t like black raspberries.”  
“Yeah but the ice cream tastes different,” I convinced. He rolled his eyes, “Everyone always says that.”  
“Because it’s true!” I exclaimed.   
“Okay, then why is it called ‘Black Raspberry' ice cream?” he pointed out.   
“That’s just what it’s called. Strawberry ice cream doesn’t taste like strawberries.”  
“Strawberry ice cream is disgusting,” he gagged.   
“That’s not the point,” I waved my hands in the air. He sipped his smoothie.   
“You’re not convincing me!” he provoked.  
“No, you’re just being stubborn! Just eat it,” I shoved into his face, but he backed  
up quickly.   
“You can’t make me!” he called as he started to back away.   
“Then how am I supposed to get you to try it?” I called back. He laughed and shrugged. And my heart lurched. His laugh was beautiful. I caught up to him and grabbed his arm, so he couldn’t run anymore. There was a mild pain in my body, but I ignored it.   
“Stop struggling and eat it!” I shouted, but as I stepped forward, our ankles got hooked and we toppled over together, laughing. He leaned forward into me, and whispered into my ear, “People are staring.”   
I slowly pull my head up and look around. Everything had quieted down, and everyone was watching. I turned back to Dexter, “Let’s just run.” He nodded in agreement and grabbed my hand. He pulled me up along with him until we were both running side by side. The pain was a bit sharper than earlier.   
The sight before us was beautiful. We were on a lonely path looking out at the ocean. We must have been beyond the festival, because barely anyone was in sight. And there was a forest in sight. The stars were watching us.  
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed. Dex grabbed my hand, “I was going to give you this later today, but right now seems even better.” I looked at him. If I were to move an inch closer, our noses would be touching.   
“What are you talking about,” I asked quietly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. I watched in silence as he pulled a ring out. A sudden realization hit me.   
“Hold on, Dex, are you-” I started, but he widened his eyes.  
“No, dear god! I’m not asking to marry you!” he insisted.   
“Then what is that?’ I asked suspiciously.   
“Put it on,” he prompted. Slowly, I take the ring out of his hand and twirl it in my finger. There were sigils engraved in the interior. I realized that must have been China’s work. “What does it do?”  
“Just trust me,” he urged. I slide the ring down my ring finger. It felt cold at first, but then it started to heat up. There was a feeling of ease flowing through my body. I realized, suddenly, that all the nagging pain in my body was weakening. I lifted my chin to face Dexter, who was watching me nervously.  
“What the hell?” is all I know how to say. The pain was nearly gone now.  
“It works like a necromancer’s ring,” he explained, “It will hold onto your magic for you.” By the time he finished speaking, all of the pain had vanished.  
“It’s all… gone,” I managed. Dex’s face is of complete relief, “I was so scared it wouldn’t work.”  
“How?” I asked.  
“China owed me a big favor,” he smiled.  
“You told her my magic?” I questioned.  
“No, I was pretty careful. I’m not a terrible liar, you know,” he was beaming. I nod.   
“If I had known it was this easy-” I began wearily, but he brought his hand up to wipe away a tear. I didn’t notice I was crying. 

(Dexters POV)   
There were too many emotions to describe how I was feeling. I was holding Saracen’s face up to mine. His cheeks were rosy and tear stained, and I could feel his body shaking on mine.   
“Thank you,” he choked out. But he shouldn’t have to thank me, because I know it was nothing compared to everything he’s endured.   
“I would do it again. I would do it again more times than I can count,” I promised. I knew that I would never forget this moment, the first time we held each other beneath the stars. I plan to do it again.


End file.
